HIGH PRICED WOOL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 310, 5 December 1912, Page 3

HIGH PRICED WOOL.

) A CHANCE FOR LINCOLN ; BREEDERS. I During his recent trip to Australia , Mr. B. Seth-Smith became acquainted with Mr. Henshaw Jackson, wool instructor at the South Australian school of Mines, who informed him that a keen demand existed from • America for a good quality Lincoln wool, with a staple not less than 12; .inches in length. For such wool 2-j i lb was readily obtained, and if U. •my chance Lincoln wool with a twnlootstaple could be procured, 4,'- a lb I ‘ .vould be paid for it, and the buyer: ; would be glad to get it at tire price, j ; It appears that a Mr. L, Lcvusrove I lias been investigating fo" rom-cj l tmie in regard fn th" posgUH’y <.J (employing a long stapled wool in , the manufacture of certain articles

for which, hitlierto, only mohair has been used. Mr. Jackson stated that die knew of this demand two years •igo. but did not feel justified in 'saying anything on the matters to Lincoln breeders in Australasia until he had satisfied himself that it was ■iiiite possible to produce fleeces with wool considerably longer than 12 inches. Consequently he was now making arrangements to send a ‘rial shipment of fleeces over to the American buyers, and if they proved suitable he thought that a most lucrative market would open up before breeders of Lincoln sheer), especially as Mr. Levussove had said that there was very little likelihood, of over-production of this class of goods. In fact, Mr. Lcvus-mve st.T ed that he was of the,opi.'ion ti: " there was not a single industry in

America that sv.ffcrr d so from Cm lack of raw material as his business did. Mr. Jackson did not tell Mr. Seth-Smith what the nature of the article, or articles, manufactured by Mr. Levussove was. but, Mr. SefliSniiili has an idea that it has something to do with the making up of artificial hair. wigs, switches, and things of that sort. If this conjecture is correct, the lack 'of suitable raw material may easily be realised.

Mr. Seth-Smith is now intending to write to the Lincoln breeders in New Zealand, telling them of the new market, and asking them if they can send along two or three fleece? [of bright wool, not less than twelve inches in staple ; moreover, he guarantees anyone who sends along suitable wool the price of 2- per lb. Mr. Seth-Smith, who was a wellknown breeder of Lincolns himself before he sold out of his Ngapara Estate, considers that this is a good chance for breeders, and lie says that he knows that suitable wool can be grown in New Zealand with a considerably longer staple than the -specified 12 inches, providing the ItOogets ar; well looked after, and a good succession of green feed supplied through the winter. North Island breeders who wished to supply this market would have to cease to shear their lambs, and some breeders in both Islands might find it worth their while to let a proportion of their flock go for two years, with a view to getting the greatly increased prices for a staple 3 approximating to 2 -linehcs in length. Mr. Seth-Smitli says that from what he has seen of several Lincoln flocks recently, he thinks that about -10 or 50 per cent, of South Island Lin-1 coin hoggets should have a fleece 1 over 12 inches in length, and thus suitable for export to America. Of course, the whole fleece would not be available, and only the portions having the necessary length would be! sent. — "Lyttelton Times.” ’